Paper is made out of trees. Is there a substitute?

Question

Can it be made out of anything else?

Answer 1

There are literally hundreds of alternatives to toilet paper. But you wanta know about regular writing paper...the process of chipping any various items such as woody stems of most anything will produce an imperfect but perfectly writable upon paper (that appears as that home building item chipboard)...But you wanta know about alternatives to anything tree or plant material.

I do not think there be a lighterweight writable upon agent, but the ancients all used animal hides as their paper. Paper was therefore heavier and not as lightweight as it is today and practically unheard of in other lands where there were no trees enough for mills (except for the Egyptians with papyrus). In any age goatskins have been used and was known as parchment and lasts much longer.

Paper mills began in the late 17th century.

For the most humane substitute to killing animals in excess or trees in excess for paper,
I think we should look to bamboo or hemp.

I think using plant material (minus the trees) does be best and a must; but can be made from anything. People could be more creative with their paper manufacturing choices and it would be an easy and inexpensive even fun for children to pull out a blender and begin to experiment and manufacture your own paper out on your own deck or backyard.

Recycle newsapers in a blender with a small amount of water produces paper patties for children that are firm and safe non crumbling from regular newsaper (not usually salespapers). I have done this before and only need to add one drop of food coloring.

For paper for children one could save money doing so.

For printer paper one wants perfection but all this perfection comes from the chemicals bleaching added but could do some research and find less harmful chemicals.

Paper has been made with a an addative named Alum for centuries.

Anything petrified equals a writing surface.

I dont think ground bones would do but am not sure.

sidenote: I dont think we should go poking around in the sea for the answers to paper alternatives, I honestly do not think the answer be in the sea for this item and there so many uses of the sea already that stress out the sea.

Answer 2

deathbear3 -- "or else it wouldn't be called paper" ... how do you figure?

paper is made from all kinds of fibers, and the first paper ever made was NOT made from trees (papyrus anyone?)

kenaf, hemp, flax, cotton, rice, any vegetative fiber can be used to make paper; the length of the fibers determine the quality of the paper. silk and animal skins can also be used (parchment anyone?)

the ease with which hemp would turned into paper was one of the main reasons why marijuana was made illegal in the 1930s (industrial hemp though has a negligible amount of THC compared to proper "marijuana") ... William Randolph Hearst wanted to protect his wood pulp investments

Answer 3

All paper is made from trees planted just for that purpose

Answer 4

Not really, or else it wouldn't be paper

But, don't worry. Paper companies mostly harvest trees they have grown themselves on their own land, and they are constantly replanting trees or else they wouldn't be able to continue as a business

Answer 5

Ancient Egyptians used papyrus. But it rips really easily just from bending. You can use recycled paper though.

Answer 6

Why would you need one? Technically trees are a renewable resource.

The bigger question is why do we still need paper?

Answer 7

We can go back to writing on the skins of animals, if you would rather kill them then trees.

Answer 8

i hope you are not concerned about deforestation by creating paper. They always replace the trees they take for that.

You should be more mad about suburban sprawl

Answer 9

Recycled paper

Answer 10

Trees...try trees. They are a renewable resource. ou don't need a substitute.

Think!